The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-09-25

SUAu1hSO VI 1cAOSdA III Zig dAails VI
earth.
When Moses. the great Jewish
iaw-giver, wrote his five books
of the Pentatuech, nearly twenty
five centuries had elapsed from the time
we are told God said-'Let there be
light, and there was light" During
this long period of time, no records
have been handed down, no records
had been made, that is no written
records of which any account remains
to us-unless we agree with Egyptol-
ogists and accept their readings of the
heiroglyphicsl paintings and sculptur-
ings upon the most ancient of the pyra
mids and other monuments of Egypt.
Buddhist philosophers in their accounts
of Creation Eand the IBrahminIcal
priesthood as well, carry back their
chronology for long ages, yet are their
accounts so mixed and peculiar that it
would take the power of revelation
alone to tell what was true and what
was false in what they presented.
We have really no account of any writ
ten record being handed down previous
TO Moses, or may be of Job, for there
be those who say he lived before the
time of Moses. Only oral communica
tons bad been handed down from gen
ration to generation till the time of
Moses. and no intelligence other than
of that kind had descended from
father to sou, unless given forth
bY inspiration and the voice
of revelation. Such knowledge
different men as that is dull or active,
wise or foolish, so are the ideas and ut
terances, as well as their modes of
transmitting them to posterity. Of this
knowledge, men now living will believe
only s so much as agrees or accords,
with their own views, or as comedies
with their prejudice, or agrees with
their religious convictions. So it is now
impossible, from the long lapse of
time, except by more than human light
and intelligence, to affirm, or deny, the
ruth or the falsity of the accepted
Chris tan belief of the Bibie-as it's inn
possible to prove either affirmativey or
negatively; that which is not subject to
proof fundamentally, or by logical
reasoning from physical facts, there
has to be taken certain things for
granted, even faith. Faith is the foun
dation of all spiritual knowledge, and
TO the foundation being added works, is
that on which Christianity is reared;
the idols of superstition and witchcraft
are shat cred and overturned by the
philosophical researches of science and
civilization. The right of conscience is
the common heritage of all in this icon
oclastic age-in theory all persons ad-
NIT the Justice of free will-each person
possesses the right to judge for himself
in all things and matters affecting only
himself, and he should be respected and
protected in the full exercise of the
principle. In theory, though not alto
gether in fact, the time when men were
forbidden to investigate facts and pIin-
ciples, has passed away. no more We
trust, to return; and all may now work
and labor tremendously for the right,
however high, or however lOwly and
humble be their station. Mere matter
of opinion, confined to words alone,
ideas that interfere not with the priv
IegeS and rights Of others, no longer light
the fires of persecution; and priestly
torturer5 no longer shed the blood of
the innocent, as sanctimoniOus offering
to God, to cement more firmly the bands
of superstition, or water the founda-
tons of the apostolic throne. That
throne has IN all ages of apostolic sue
cession, as is claimed for it, been upheld
by the strong hand OF oppression,
wrong and persecution; yet the very
severity used to strengthen the power of
has more often than other
wise, proven the entering wedge that
has riven the edifice of universal
tyranny and church dominion assun-
der. It's claims of infaliibily
have been questioned by scephcisnI
examined by true religious faith, and
have been denied; and men, earnest,
God-fearing men, have been led to doubt
the virtues, or The benefits derived from
that tree of life, which has so often
brought forth the evil fruits of persecu-
ton and rapine and blood. Peace, a
peace that passeth human understand
ing, has been promised those that truly
believe and do the will of God; and the
of Jesus enduring contradiC-
ton and wrong-doing. is far more COM
than the fierce sectarian zeal
that sent s. Servetus to the Stake. or
banished Roger Williams to the VIII
derness. Yet the hand of God is no
where more visible than in the very
persecution we decry, for verify III all
ages has the blood of the martyrs"
watered the way to increase and victory.